The Spurs' LaMarcus Aldridge is out indefinitely due to a minor heart arrhythmia. He has had heart issues in the past.

The Spurs' LaMarcus Aldridge is out indefinitely due to a minor heart arrhythmia. He has had heart issues in the past.

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Find out more about the Spurs' biggest free agent win.

Find out more about the Spurs' biggest free agent win.

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1. He's never been attention hungry

A previous Oregon Live article said Aldridge lack of attention was "common" for the star, it only fueled him. He told the website, "If I'm playing to get media and attention, I shouldn't be here [...] I'm here to play basketball and do what I can to help this team win."

With his 220th double-double, he set the Portland Traiblazers' record, according to ESPN.

2. He's a leader

With his 220th double-double, he set the Portland Traiblazers' record, according to ESPN.

Photo: Rocky Widner, Getty Images

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3. He's another player who has had the opportunity to be on the court with his childhood hero, Tim Duncan

He called Duncan his favorite player growing up, partly because No. 21's body type looked more like his. Duncan reciprocated the admiration and said "he's a great young talent. It was the first time seeing him for me but he surprised me a little bit. They've got good talent over there," according to an NBA.c om interview.

According to NBA.com, our newest Spur is just one of five players averaging 20-plus points in each of the past four seasons. He was also the Portland Trailblazer's second-leading scorer in their franchise's history.

5. During his rookie years, he called dunking over Duncan "the highlight" of his professional career

In a Q&A session, Aldridge called his future teammate the "toughest guy to guard" and added, "he is so smart and knows where to go and how to get in position to score. To get one down on a player of his caliber is a great accomplishment."

In 2013, Aldridge was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the fourth time (he's held the title eight times,) by tallying 30 points, 21 rebounds, three assists and three steals. The only other player to accomplish an identical set of stats was David Robinson, according to NBA.com.

Aldridge suffered from Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW), which is a problem with the heart's electrical system causing it to be abnormally. He underwent surgery at the time of his diagnosis and again in 2011 to treat the problem.

But even then he was overlooked. He once said in an NBA.com interview, "I couldn't shoot. I couldn't do a hook shot. I was just tall and only scored points because everyone else was shorter than me," but his big brother, LaVontae, helped right him on his athletic path.

"When I was younger, I used to spend a lot of time either by myself or with my mom," he said. "But when I hit high school, she really became on of my close friends." Looks like he has something in common with Kawhi Leonard.

The news rocked the foundation at Spurs HQ on Saturday: Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge is out for tonight's game against Golden State and beyond with the occurrence of a hearth arrhythmia.

It was a tough blow for a team already dealing with the loss of star forward Kawhi Leonard to the NBA's concussion protocol. More important than that, it is scary news for any player when the heart is involved.

Aldridge has a history of minor heart issues dating to his rookie season. In April 2007 while with Portland, Aldridge was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The condition is an electrical abnormality of the heart that can cause dizziness and rapid heartbeat. Aldridge underwent an ablation procedure to correct the ailment at the time, and missed the final nine games of the Trail Blazers' season.

In December 2011, just before the start of training camp in that lockout-shortened season, Aldridge suffered a recurrence of the same symptoms. He underwent another ablation procedure and was on the floor for a Blazers' preseason game against Utah 10 days later.